Nyema

[lillyjumper]

I had a good friend who is having a baby girl and is thinking about using the name Nyema. (I think it's beautiful)

We were at gymnastics with our other little girls and when she shared her plans to name her child this another mom said- "You're white, your husband is white, and your child will be white. Nyema is a name for black girls." The friend said back "What are you talking about, it's a Hebrew name." The woman shot back with "I get that. But the simple fact of the matter is that it's seen on black girls. It will look weird on her. It would be like naming your white daughter shaniqua. Not to mention your other childrens' names are Jacob and Catherine. It just doesn't fit."

Now, I'm all for just naming your child whatever you like and I'm encouraging her to do that. But it did kind of have me thinking. I'm part puerto rican. I can't tell you how many Alejandra's I have in my family and it's not seen on many girls outside of the hispanic culture and yes, if I saw it on a resume I would automatically assume said girl was hispanic. So while I think the woman was being slightly racist to make such a comment (and if it matters the other woman making this comment was African American) I also kinda understand what she's trying to say... not that I agree.

I guess my question is this... is Nyema/(Naima) (said Nye- EE- mah) a name you would automatically assume it belongs to an african american girl. This is very much bothering my friend now and no matter what I tell her she doesn't want to go forward with naming her daughter Nyema without getting more input on the name.

So... any thoughts??

 

[JJKCB]

I had a good friend who is having a baby girl and is thinking about using the name Nyema. (I think it's beautiful)

We were at gymnastics with our other little girls and when she shared her plans to name her child this another mom said- "You're white, your husband is white, and your child will be white. Nyema is a name for black girls." The friend said back "What are you talking about, it's a Hebrew name." The woman shot back with "I get that. But the simple fact of the matter is that it's seen on black girls. It will look weird on her. It would be like naming your white daughter shaniqua. Not to mention your other childrens' names are Jacob and Catherine. It just doesn't fit."

Now, I'm all for just naming your child whatever you like and I'm encouraging her to do that. But it did kind of have me thinking. I'm part puerto rican. I can't tell you how many Alejandra's I have in my family and it's not seen on many girls outside of the hispanic culture and yes, if I saw it on a resume I would automatically assume said girl was hispanic. So while I think the woman was being slightly racist to make such a comment (and if it matters the other woman making this comment was African American) I also kinda understand what she's trying to say... not that I agree.

I guess my question is this... is Nyema/(Naima) (said Nye- EE- mah) a name you would automatically assume it belongs to an african american girl. This is very much bothering my friend now and no matter what I tell her she doesn't want to go forward with naming her daughter Nyema without getting more input on the name.

So... any thoughts??

not at all, i would assume someones take on an Irish name

my name is African despite being a place name in Russia (ive never even heard of another white person with this name and yes i have face booked and goggled it all a African or African-american ladies) and im the whitest person you will ever meet, people always comment on how beautiful and unique it is and i love it

 

[3xscharmer]

I don't think names should be specific to a certain race...of course it does happen, but to me, a name should be who you are, not what color/heritage you are. If your friend likes the name then go for it, it's her choice and unless specifically asked, I'm not sure why everyone needs to have an opinion on someone else's name, I think it's a beautiful name!

 

[wannabemomy37]

I think its a lovely name!! I agree that names shouldn't be tied with race at all...if she loves it then go for it!!!

 

[Varenne]

I'd never heard it before but it makes me think of ancient Greek suffixes in words related to biology, like pachynema etc! I never would have thought "black", but it might be different in your country. Even so, it certainly wouldn't be a problem for me. Names shouldn't be race-restricted.

 

[lillyjumper]

That's kind of what I'm telling her. That it shouldn't be about the race of her daughter. However, I live in the United States and there are some names, like Shaniqua or Alejandra, that are pretty much only within a certain race.

I get where said woman was coming from but I don't agree with it. I'm sure you can all think of a name that is like that... like Jose or Juan... (of course I can only think of hispanic names because that's my mothers side. lol)

 

[cookette]

I guess my question is this... is Nyema/(Naima) (said Nye- EE- mah) a name you would automatically assume it belongs to an african american girl. This is very much bothering my friend now and no matter what I tell her she doesn't want to go forward with naming her daughter Nyema without getting more input on the name.

So... any thoughts??

Yes. I would assume it was an African American child.

Does that matter? Nope. Should it affect her decision making? No, unless for some awful reason someone thinking her child might be black bothers her. I think it also depends WHERE in the US you are. Im in mid-south, and we're a pretty big group of "Joe's" and "Sarah's" in a farming community. If she likes the name, she should use it and not give a second thought about it potentially being a name indicative of another race

 

[lillyjumper]

I guess my question is this... is Nyema/(Naima) (said Nye- EE- mah) a name you would automatically assume it belongs to an african american girl. This is very much bothering my friend now and no matter what I tell her she doesn't want to go forward with naming her daughter Nyema without getting more input on the name.

So... any thoughts??

Yes. I would assume it was an African American child.

Does that matter? Nope. Should it affect her decision making? No, unless for some awful reason someone thinking her child might be black bothers her. I think it also depends WHERE in the US you are. Im in mid-south, and we're a pretty big group of "Joe's" and "Sarah's" in a farming community. If she likes the name, she should use it and not give a second thought about it potentially being a name indicative of another race

We live in the Seattle area now but we're both military families and move all over the country.

 

[xjesx]

My name is Jessica. Its Hebrew. My mother is Catholic. My father is Serbian. I am Canadian. My

Jessica was such a popular name in the 80s in North America it would seem fitting as I am Canadian. But come on...names are transferable.

 

[katherinegrey]

Personally I would assume that the child was black yes, and if her other children's names are Jacob and Catherine I agree it doesn't really go, BUT it's not my child and if she loves it then she should use it!

 

[Amygdala]

I've never heard of the name so wouldn't have associated it with a particular race or anything. Saying that, to me it sounds quite exotic, whereas her siblings names are very traditional, so it does stick out a bit. Not that that should stop her but it would put me personally off, as I wouldn't want to explain to my kids why one of them has a more special/unique or unusual/out there (depending on how they see it) name than the others.

 

[brittanyodett]

I'm from Tennessee, and my family is German Honduran African-American and Native America.. all are very strong in my family. Here is an example of some of our names, and were all different colors (ex: all 33+ of my cousins lol) Estrella, Brittany, Jesse, Carissa, Yaro, Julio, Rodolfo, Maria, Lisa, Christopher, Alyssa, Odette, Keith, Gabriel, Odette, Brian.. you get the vibe its like hispanic and 'american' names all mixed up.

I LOVE the name she chose and I encourage her to embrace it and use it! It does not make me think of a 'black girl' the name makes me think of Culture and Nature.. sorry if that is a odd description.

Anyways, thats my 2 cents :]

 

[silverbelle]

I am a total name nerd and to me it doesn't strike as a post-roots AA name at all!

And if she wanted to name her baby one of those (Shaniqua, ShaTisha, Latonya, Jamari, ect.) There wouldn't be any problem with that either.

But I can understand her not wanting too, and I really don't get where people are getting this idea from? I am Mexican, I when to a HS that was predominately black and Hispanic, and this doesn't sound like the name of any of my AA friends? I think it was completely rude for the other lady to say that anyway. I do kind of agree that it doesn't really "go with" Jacob and Catherine, but I also firmly believe that sibling are not a "matched set for life!" It's not like her siblings are going to be going to job interviews with her.